Poetical Fragments, Title page – To the reader
POETICAL FRAGMENTS: Heart-Imployment WITH GOD and IT SELF.
THE Concordant Diſcord of a Brokenhealed Heart. Sorrowing-rejoycing, fearing-hoping, dying-living Written Partly for himſelf, and partly for near Friends in Sickneſs, and other deep Affliction.
By RICHARD BAXTER.
Epheſ. 5. 19.
Speaking to your ſelves in Pſalms and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, ſinging and making Melody in your hearts to the Lord.
2 Corinth. 5. 4.
For we that are in this Tabernacle do GROAN, being burdened.
Laeta ferè laetus cecini: Cano triſtia triſtis.
Publiſhed for the uſe of the Afflicted.
LONDON, Printed by T. Snowden for B. Simmons at the a Golden Cocks at the Weſt end of St. Pauls. 1681.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.
Reader,
THeſe Poetical Fragments, (except Three heretofore Printed) were ſo far from being intended for the Preſs, that they were not allowed the ſight of many Private Friends, nor thought worthy of it: Only had I had time and heart to have finiſhed the firſt (which it ſelf according to the Matter and deſigned Method, would have made a Volume far bigger than all this, being intended as a thankful, Hiſtorical Commemoration of all the notable paſſages of my Life,) I ſhould have publiſhed it as the moſt ſelf-pleaſing part of my Writings. But as they were moſtly written in various Paſſions, ſo Paſſion hath now thruſt them out into the World. God having taken away the Dear Companion of the laſt Nineteen Years of my Life, as her ſorrows and ſufferings long ago gave Being to ſome of theſe Poems (for reaſons which the World is not concerned to know) ſo my grief for her Removal, and the Revived Senſe of former things, have prevailed with me to be paſſionate in the open ſight of all.
I confeſs that Paſſion is oft ſuch a hinderance of Judgment, that a man ſhould be very ſuſpicious of himſelf till it be laid: But I am aſſured that God made it not in vain; and that Reaſon is a ſleepy half-uſeleſs thing, till ſome Paſſion excite it; and Learning to a man aſleep is no better for that time than Ignorance. And God uſually beginneth the awakening of Reaſon, and the converſion of Sinners, by the awakening of their uſeful Paſſions, their Fear, their Grief, Repentance, Deſire, &c. I confeſs, when God awakeneth in me thoſe Paſſions which I account rational and holy, I am ſo far from condemning them, that I think I was half a Fool before, and have ſmall comfort in ſleepy Reaſon. Lay by all the paſſionate part of Love and Joy, and it will be hard to have any pleaſant thoughts of Heaven.
In ſhort, I am an Adverſary to their Philoſophy, that vilifie Senſe, becauſe it is in Brutes, and am paſt doubt that the noble ſpirits of Senſitives are debaſed ignorantly, by pretending Wits, that know not what they ſay or glory in. And humane Souls are not leſs ſenſitive for being rational, but are eminently ſenſitive: Yea, Reaſon hath in it more of eminent internal Senſation, than thoſe men think that debaſe Senſe. The Scripture, that ſaith of God, That he is Life and Light, ſaith alſo, That he is Love, and Love is Complacence, and Complacence is Joy; and to ſay God is Infinite, Eſſential Love and Joy, is a better notion, than with Carteſians and Cocceians. to ſay that God and Angels, and Spirits, are but a Thought, or an Idea. What is Heaven to us if there be no Love and Joy?
I will do my wiſe Friends, whoſe Counſel I have much followed, that Right as to acquit them from all the guilt of the Publication of theſe Fragments. Some of them ſay, that ſuch Work is below me; and thoſe that I think ſpeak wiſelier ſay, I am below ſuch Work. Theſe I unfeignedly believe. I have long thought, that a Painter, a Muſician and a Poet, are contemptible, if they be not Excellent: And that I am not Excellent, I am ſatisfied: But I am more patient of contempt than many are. Common Painters ſerve for poor men's work: And a Fidler may ſerve at a Country-Wedding: Such cannot aſpire to the Attainments of the higher ſort: And the Vulgar are the greater number. Dr. Stillingfleet ſaith, I ſeldom follow my Friend's Advice: In this I juſtifie him: Though in other things my Adviſers contradict him.
I know that natural temper maketh Poetry ſavour to ſeveral Wiſe and Learned men, as differently as Meats do to various Appetites. I know ſuch Learned diſcreet men, that know not what a Tune is, nor can difference one from another. I wonder at them, and oft doubt whether it be an Accident or an Integral of Humanity which they want. Annatus the Jeſuit in his Anſwer to Dr. Twiſſe De Scientia Media commends his Poetry (for a Poem added in the end) in ſcorn, as if it were a diſgrace to a School Divine. I take one ſign of an Acumen of Wit to make it likely that the man hath the ſame Wit for other work.
For my ſelf, I confeſs that Harmony and Melody are the pleaſure and elevation of my Soul, and have made a Pſalm of Praiſe in the holy Aſſembly the chief delightful Exerciſe of my Religion and my Life; and hath helped to bear down all the Objections which I have heard againſt Church-Muſick, and againſt the 149, 150 Pſalms. It was not the leaſt comfort that I had in the converſe of my late Dear Wife, that our firſt in the morning, and laſt in Bed at night was a Pſalm of Praiſe (till the hearing of others interrupted it.) …et thoſe that ſavour not Melody, leave others to their different Appetites, and be content to be ſo far ſtrangers to their delights.
Theſe Times have produced many Excellent Poets: Among whom for ſtrength of Wit, Dr. Abraham Cooley juſtly bears the Bell. I much value Mr. Woodford's Paraphraſe on the Pſalms, though his Genius (or ſomewhat elſe) expound ſome Pſalms, ſo as the next Age will confute. A Woman's Poems, the Lady Katherine Philip's are far above contetmp. But that is beſtto me which is moſt holy.
I have known good men that were skilled in Muſick, and much delighted in it, and yet had a conceit that it was unlawful in a Pſalm, or holy Exerciſe: I ſo much differed from them, that I ſcarce cared for it any where elſe; and if it might not be duplicate page duplicate page holily uſed, it ſhould never have been uſed for me.
Honeſt George Withers, though a Ruſtick Poet, hath been very acceptable as to ſome for his Prophecies, ſo to others for his plain Country-honeſty: The Vulgar were the more pleaſed with him for being ſo little Courtly as to ſay,
"If I ſhould have been hung, I knew not how
"To teach my Body how to cringe and how,
"And to embrace a fellows, hinder quarters,
"As if I meant to ſteal away his Garters.
"When any bow'd to me with Congees trim,
"All I could do, was ſtand and laugh at him.
"Bleſs me thought I, what will this coxcomb do?
"When I perceiv'd one reaching at my ſhooe.
Quarles yet out went him, mixing competent Wit with Piety (eſpecially in his Poem againſt Reſt on Earth.)
Silveſter on Du Bartas ſeems to me to out go them both.
Sir Fulk Grevil, Lord Brook (a man of great note in his Age) hath a Poem lately Printed for Subjects Liberty, which I greatly wonder this Age would bear. There are no Books that have been Printed theſe twenty Years, that I more wonder at (that ever they were endured) than Richard Hookers eight Books of Eccleſiaſtick Policy, dedicated by Biſhop Gauden to our preſent King, and vindicated by him; and theſe Poems of Sir Fulk Grevill Lord Brook. Davie's Noſce Teipſum is an Excellent Poem in opening the nature, Faculties, and certain Immortality of Man's Soul. But I muſt confeſs, after all that next the Scripture Poems, there are none ſo ſavoury to me, as Mr. George Herbert's, and Mr. George Sandys's. I know that Cooly and others far excel Herbert in Wit and accurate compoſure. But (as Sencca takes with me above all his Contemporaries, becauſe he ſpeaketh Things by words, feeling and ſeriouſly, like a man that is pa… jeſt, ſo) Herbert ſpeaks to God like on that really believeth a God, and whoſe buſineſs in the world is moſt with God Heart-work and Heaven-work make up his Books. And Du Bartas is ſeriouſly Divine. And George Sandy's
Omne tulit punctum, dum miſcuit utile dulci.
His Scripture Poems are an elegant and excellent Paraphraſe: But eſpecially his Job, whom he hath reſtored to the original glory. O that he had turned the Pſalms into Metre fitted to the uſual Tunes! It did me good when Mrs. Wyat invited me to ſee Boxley Abby in Kent; to ſee upon the old Stone Wall in the Garden a Summer-houſe with this inſcription in great golden Letters, that In that place Mr. G. Sandys after his Travels over the World, retired himſelf for his Poetry and Contemplations. And none are fitter to retire to God then ſuch as a retired with ſeeing all the vanities on Earth.
Sure there is ſomewhat of Heaven … Holy Poetry. It charmeth Souls into …oving Harmony and Concord: We …we two Brothers in this City, of …hom one hath written a Book called … friendly debate, to make thoſe ſeem …ious or contemptible who were a…inſt his way: It had too much ſuc…ſs, and ſo far deſtroyed Love and …oncord, as will not eaſily be recove…d in this age. His Brother (Mr. Pa…ike of the Charter-houſe) hath with …ous skill and ſeriouſneſs turned into …new Metre many of David's Pſalms; …d the advantage for holy affections …d harmony, hath ſo far reconciled …e Non-Conformiſts, that divers of …em uſe his Pſalms in their Congre…tions, though they have the old …es, Rouſes, Biſhop Kings, Mr. Whites, …e New Englands, Daviſons, the Scots … agreed on by two Nations) in …mpetition with it. But I digreſs too …r.
All that I have to ſay for theſe Fragments duplicate page duplicate page is, 1. That being fitted to Women, and vulgar wits, which are the far greateſt number, they may be uſeful to ſuch, though contemptible to thoſe of higher elevation & expectation. 2 And being ſuited to afflicted, ſick, dying, troubled, ſad and doubting perſons, the number of ſuch is ſo great in theſe calamitous times, as may render them uſeful to more than I deſire. 3. And if my preſent grief may but excuſe the Publication, he that needeth them not may let them alone.
Some of them need an Expoſition, which I muſt not give the world. I have added two or three Printed heretofore, that they may be altogether. The Lord by his merciful providence and his Grace, tune up our dull and drooping Souls to ſuch joyful praiſes, as may prepare us for his everlaſting praiſe in Heaven.
Amen.
London, At the Door of Eternity. Aug. 7. 1681. Rich. Baxter